Animal Tooth Truths: Part Two
October 22nd, 2021
Animals do not get cavities…
…because their diets are not high in sugar.
Maybe humans should take a tip from the Animal Kingdom.
Animals…
…floss their teeth!
Really, they do. I mean they don’t use dental floss like humans do. But, they chew on bones or sticks to naturally scrape away food particles caught between their teeth.
Cats can’t chew their food…
…but, they can still eat.
Unlike dogs (and humans!) cats can’t chew up their food. That’s because their molars aren’t flat but are pointed. Instead, they swallow their bite-sized food whole.
Cows do not have….
…cutting teeth.
Cows do not eat meat. They only eat plants so are called herbivores. Since they don’t eat meat they have no need for incisors (also known as cutting teeth.) Instead, cows use their lips to munch on and mash up their food.
Dogs like humans and…
…are like humans in a way.
Just like humans, dogs lose their baby teeth. You might find a dog’s baby tooth on the floor but more likely a puppy will harmlessly swallow a baby tooth when eating. And, did you know? Taking good care of a dog’s teeth can add 2 – 5 years to their life.
Elephant tusks on a male can weigh…
… 50 – 79 kg (110 – 175 lb.)
An elephant tusk is an elongated incisor that never stops growing. But, these incisors are not used as cutting teeth for food. Instead, they are used for digging, lifting objects, gathering food, stripping bark from trees to eat, and for defense. These activities wear down the tusks so they do not get too long.
Frogs do have teeth…
…but why?
Frogs swallow their food whole but, they do in fact have small teeth. Their teeth are located on the roof of the mouth and aren’t used for chewing. Instead, just like their tongues, the teeth are useful for grasping prey.
Grizzly Bears are big…
…but their teeth are not.
Grizzly bears are big. But interestingly, their teeth are small in comparison. Their teeth are only a few inches long. Don’t let that fool you though. They have the strongest bite of all animals because their jaws are so strong. In fact, with the deadly force of their jaws, grizzly bears can instantly crush whatever they bite.
Mosquitos have…
…47 microscopic teeth!
Well, they aren’t really teeth in the sense of what we think of teeth. Instead, they have 47 sharp daggers that run along each side of a long, piercing proboscis.
The proboscis is an elongated mouth part that has serrated edges. It is used like a needle to pierce the skin in order to suck the blood of a victim.
Narwhals are known as…
…unicorns of the sea.
Narwhals are ocean creatures that have a tusk growing out of the space just above the mouth. In fact, it is the space where you might think a nose should be. The tusk is in fact a tooth. But it isn’t used to chew food. Instead, it is used to sense or “taste” chemicals in the water in order to find food.
Snails have…
…teeth!
Although not very big, snails surpass many other creatures in the number of teeth they have. Can you believe it? Snails have over 25,000 microscopic teeth located on… their tongues!
Tigers don’t…
…need knives for dinner!
The canine teeth of the tiger are like razor sharp scissors. The tiger uses its mouth to grasp its prey and as it does so, the teeth slice through the creature’s flesh.
Sources
Commerce Drive Dental: https://www.commercedrivedental.com/10-fun-facts-about-animal-teeth/
Dr. E. Family Dental
https://drefamilydental.com/animal-teeth-wild-facts/
Exceptional Smiles Family Dentistry